The overall goal of this application for a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research is to enable Dr. Young to build and expand her research and mentoring programs in patient-oriented research in Pediatric Rare Lung Diseases. Rare Lung Diseases comprise a large group of disorders associated with high morbidity and sometimes mortality in children. The candidate is an expert in clinical care and research in rare lung diseases, and this award will allow her to focus on further development of (1) a patient-oriented research program in pediatric rare lung diseases aimed to advance understanding of disease pathogenesis and develop therapeutic approaches, and (2) a mentoring program to facilitate the career development of new investigators. This award will allow the candidate to have protected time to devote specifically to developing mentoring skills in patient-oriented research in her trainees who are fellows and junior faculty members, and to expand the reach of her mentoring to include new postdoctoral trainees and medical students. Through this award Dr. Young will participate in ongoing educational activities to improve her skills as a mentor, and to develop enhanced clinical research skills focused to genomics and rare diseases. These studies leverage a platform for patient-oriented research in pediatric rare lung diseases and a portfolio of currently funded research projects. In addition, Dr. Young's program in patient-oriented research will be expanded in new and novel directions. Specifically, leveraging existing NHLBI funded research projects, she will focus on identifying genetic mechanisms and modifiable predictors of outcomes in rare childhood interstitial lung diseases. This award will enable Dr. Young to substantially advance the field of pediatric rare lung diseases and enhance her mentoring skills in order to assure strong training for a future generation of patient-oriented researchers.